This isn’t necessarily a cover-up of Santa Claus proportions. Many parents who claim not to have a favorite child probably sincerely believe that this is true—but they don’t always act accordingly. “I like to say that 99 percent of all parents do have a favorite child, and the other 1 percent are lying through their teeth,” Time science writer Jeffrey Kluger told the Washington Post in 2011, hyping his book The Sibling Effect.

I’m turning forty in just over a year, which hopefully means my face will finally be clearing up soon. Eighty percent of young Americans have pimple problems, and their well-meaning parents often recommend all kinds of home remedies, from lemon juice to aloe vera to baking soda. But the one thing we can all agree on is the important of hygiene. Everyone knows you get acne from not washing your face, right?

Tuesday, December 04

Dispelling all the misinformation in the world is a tough job when you’re up against the biggest liars of all: everyone’s parents. Let’s face it, Mom and Dad mean well, but parenting is a tough gig. In his new bookBecause I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids, Ken Jennings takes on generations of dubious parental wisdom on the dangers of gum-swallowing, knuckle-popping, post-meal swimming, and all the rest. And this month on Woot, Ken will be debunking four bonus parenting myths not found in his book. As we’ll see, Mother and Father don’t always know best.

Parental Myth #1: Drink Some Warm Milk Before Bed!

A glass of warm milk is an age-old folk remedy for insomnia. Mom’s bedtime advice got a nutritional boost in the 20th century when science discovered that milk is a good source for something called tryptophan, an amino acid sometimes prescribed as a sleep aid because the brain converts it into the sleep-regulating neurotransmitter melatonin.

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